VoterLens
New York State Senate District 47
George Washington University—BA
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Erik Bottcher is a Democratic New York State Senator representing District 47; his official Senate biography says he was elected in 2026 to represent a Manhattan district including the Upper West Side, Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, and parts of Greenwich Village. His public-service career began in 2009 as the New York City Council’s LGBTQ & HIV/AIDS Community Liaison, followed by service as statewide LGBTQ Community Liaison in the Governor’s Office and chief of staff to New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. He was elected to the New York City Council in 2021 before joining the State Senate, with work focused on mental health services, housing affordability, sanitation reform, environmental sustainability, and public health/public safety legislation.
Committee Assignments: Cities 1 · Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders · Civil Service and Pensions · Corporations, Authorities and Commissions · Environmental Conservation · Investigations and Government Operations · Judiciary · Libraries
Erik Bottcher supports expanding public health coverage and access, including co-sponsoring universal, publicly funded health care through the New York Health Act and sponsoring bills on child coverage, HIV prevention medication access, gender-affirming insurance protections, and regulated LGBTQ+ public-health spaces. His record also includes public-health measures tied to mental health, homelessness services, reproductive-health access, and suicide prevention.
Erik Bottcher’s economy-and-jobs record emphasizes affordability, support for small businesses and working professionals, faster development permitting, and sustaining creative and coastal industries. As State Senator for New York’s 47th District, he has sponsored tax, permitting, artist-housing, and fisheries-management measures tied to cost relief, job access, and local economic activity.
Erik Bottcher supports pro-immigrant policies, including strong sanctuary protections, limits on immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, and expanded legal and social services for immigrants and asylum seekers. His record and stated positions emphasize due process, opposition to ICE-related local cooperation, and treating asylum seekers with dignity and support.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Bottcher stated that he would fight for full enforcement of sanctuary city laws, resist efforts to weaken sanctuary protections, and had secured funding for the Arc Immigration Clinic to help immigrants remain in the United States.
SourceIn his NYC Votes profile, Bottcher said New York City is a city of immigrants and called for protecting schools, hospitals, and houses of worship from immigration raids so New Yorkers can live safely and without fear.
SourceErik Bottcher, Democratic New York State Senator for District 47, supports moving New York away from fossil fuels through renewable energy, grid modernization, building and transportation decarbonization, clean public transportation, and climate resiliency investments. His record also includes sponsoring environmental conservation legislation for coastal and marine resources and proposing parking reforms tied to climate and mobility goals.
Specific Actions & Proposals
The New York League of Conservation Voters said Bottcher would support a robust Cap-and-Invest program, decarbonization of buildings and transportation, renewable energy such as offshore wind, water-quality improvements, and climate-resilient communities.
SourceIn the VOTE411 guide for New York Senate District 47, Bottcher said New York should rapidly expand renewable energy, modernize the electric grid, improve building efficiency, invest in clean public transportation, and meet CLCPA goals affordably and equitably.
SourceErik Bottcher, Democratic New York State Senator for District 47, has proposed education legislation focused on inclusive school policy, student mental health and safety, and early learning-disability screening. His education record includes bills requiring transgender and gender-nonconforming student protections, LGBT awareness instruction, dyslexia/dysgraphia screening, restrictions on student wireless-device use, and student suicide-prevention policies.
Erik Bottcher frames public safety as a public-health and prevention issue, emphasizing gun safety, safer streets, coordinated homeless outreach, mental health services, and targeted enforcement/education. As State Senator for New York's 47th Senate District, he has introduced or authored measures on firearm safe storage, firearm warning signs, bicycle/e-bike traffic safety education, and coordinated street outreach for homelessness and behavioral-health-related public safety concerns.
Manhattan Democratic Party
https://manhattandemocrats.org/2026/01/results-of-the-47th-senate-district-committee-meeting/Fetched: endorsements
District Council 37
https://www.dc37.net/take-action/media-center/news-release/2026/district-council-37-delegates-endorse-state-senate-and-assembly-candidates-for-2026-primary-election/Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/candidate/erik-bottcher/Fetched: endorsements
NYSenate.gov - Senator Erik Bottcher About
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/erik-bottcher/aboutFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 - New York Senate District 47 Erik Bottcher
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189182Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S10135
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10135Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S10467
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10467Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S10465
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10465Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Public Health Modernization Act press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/erik-bottcher/senator-bottcher-and-assemblymember-simone-introduce?page=3Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/erik-bottcher/governor-hochul-signs-bottcher-bills-protecting-new-york?page=4Fetched: issuePositions
New York City Council Legistar
https://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=779B3241-2FF5-4A68-9C75-3F00FD037803&ID=7696059Fetched: issuePositions
Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club
https://jimowles.org/news/candidate-answers-to-joldc-erik-bottcher-for-city-council-district-3-2025Fetched: issuePositions
NYC Votes
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2025-general-election/public-advocate/profile/?bannerTitle=Erik+Bottcher&boroughCode=&candidateId=2312&districtID=&electionCycle=2025&geoAreaAbbr=&officeType=&officelevel=&partyId=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - About Erik Bottcher
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/erik-bottcher/aboutFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S10071
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10071Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S10072
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10072Fetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73189182Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S10507
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S10507Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senator Erik Bottcher profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/erik-bottcherFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senator Erik Bottcher legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/erik-bottcher/legislationFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - S10249
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S10249&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S9629 Francesco's Law
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9629Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - firearm graphic warning law press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/erik-bottcher/first-nation-firearm-graphic-warning-law-takes-effectFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Bicycle Traffic Safety Education Alternative Act press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/erik-bottcher/senator-bottcher-and-assemblymember-wright-introduceFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Neighborhood Street Teams homeless outreach bill press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/erik-bottcher/bottcher-simone-unveil-bill-break-down-informationFetched: issuePositions